Posted on 07/21/2006 12:07:16 PM PDT by Froufrou
A woman and her preacher husband, whom she is accused of murdering after they argued over money, may have been taken in by a common scam that strained their finances and their marriage.
"I had gotten a call from the bank and we were having trouble, mostly my fault, bad bookkeeping. He was upset with me about that," Mary Winkler told police, according to a statement read at her bail hearing.
"He had really been on me lately, criticizing me for things -- the way I walk, what I eat, everything. It was just building up to a point. I was tired of it. I guess I got to a point and snapped," the statement said.
In some versions of the scam, the victims receive checks for what they are told are partial winnings. The victims deposit the checks in their accounts, then draw on them to pay the thousands of dollars in "processing fees" that the con artists ask for. "Everything is just fine, but then four or five days later, your bank calls and says that check you deposited was bogus," Kane said.
In Mary Winkler's case, she had deposited several suspicious checks from Canada and Nigeria for a total of $17,500, authorities said.
"If somebody tells you you've won something and they want even a nickel before you actually have the money in your hand, they're crooks. It's as simple as that," said Steve Baker, Midwest regional di rector of the Federal Trade Commission.
Winkler is in jail, unable to raise $750,000 bail. Her trial is set for Oct. 30.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
Women will eat up the "He was mean to me" angle.
If no one ever fell for it they would go away. Since They don't go away, then someone's falling for it............
Plenty of folks do...otherwise the Nigerian maggots wouldn't keep sending those e-mails.
Mike Wallace did a piece on this scam years ago on "60 minutes."
I don't think it was the bickering that killed the man.
I'm no rocket scientist [blond, ya know?] but it seems to me that if she deposited $17,500 and STILL couldn't balance the checkbook, she really IS a loser!
No, he probably died of severe lack of intelligence in the relationship, from her I mean...
"You can't cheat an honest man." W.C.Fields (or woman)
I wonder how all those people who were speculating that he beat her feel now.
I wonder how many women feel that husbands should be allowed to kill their wives if their wives criticize the way they eat, dress, etc.
You've ne'er been to Selmer, I take it.
You are correct! It seems that Mary Winkler would have trouble finding her butt with both hands.
bttt
Wow - and I just saw that she shot him while he was alseep in bed.
I wouldn't leap to any conclusions, but people with organic brain diseases (lesions, certain tumors) can become very easy marks for scam artists. If I were this woman's attorney, I'd send her for an MRI, just in case.
Otherwise, "I just snapped" is not much of a defense.
He was right. An honest person knows there is no free lunch. Actually, I had a husband like that once. He wasn't even worth a bullet!
Well if she hadn't sent it to Nigeria...
I mean... chill 'fer chrissakes!
""I just snapped" is not much of a defense.""
I dunno, didn't it work pretty well for the Mercedes murderer who ran over her doctor husband in Houston?
Incorrect-Jump-To-Conclusions Vindication Ping!
Hey..I was one of those who thought there had to be a very good reason she'd blow him away..
I thought wrong..
sw
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